Chapter 11
After beingwithin reach of Greg all night, after waltzing with him, after kissing him, Bella felt rather alone as she climbed the stairs that led to her chambers at Chatham House. It was a night she would never forget, though she wished she could forget that last part with Elliott causing such a scene in the middle of Kelfield ballroom.
As soon as she entered her chambers, Bella found her sister, sitting in the middle of her bed. “All right.” Prissa brushed her dark tresses over her shoulder as she sat up straight. “Tell me everything. Every single detail. Don’t leave one thing out.”
Goodness, there was so much Prissa didn’t know, and so much Bella couldn’t really tell her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you before. I tried to find you before dinner.”
“Heavens!” Her sister’s silvery eyes twinkled. “You have nothing to apologize for, Bella I just want to hear it all now. How did you meet him? When? What did he say to Papa? Grandpapa has been in a temper all night, which doesn’t bode well for your Lord Avery, but—”
“Elliott made a fool out of himself again,” Bella said, halting all discussion about Lord Avery at least for the moment.
“He made a fool out of himself?” Prissa frowned. “What did he do?”
Bella crossed the floor and collapsed onto the bed beside her sister. “He was deep in his cups again.” She sighed as the embarrassing incident flashed once more in her mind. “He crashed into the Kelfields’ refreshment table and knocked everything to the floor. The ratafia, the sandwiches, everything.”
“Oh my goodness.” Prissa winced.
“Her Grace was very kind about the whole thing, but—” Bella shook her head “—it’s like Elliott doesn’t even realize what he’s done, Prissa. He laughed it all off and when Papa tried to grab him to bring him home, he refused to come with us, and he headed somewhere on his own.”
“Where?” Prissa’s hand fluttered to her heart.
“I have no idea.”
Prissa dropped back on the bed beside Bella with a sigh. “I miss the old Elliott. The one who read me stories and took me riding.”
“Me too.” Their brother hadn’t been that Elliott in a very long while, but it had happened so gradually, Bella couldn’t pinpoint when the change in him had actually occurred.
“Can’t he see what he’s doing to himself?” Prissa continued.
“I don’t think he can.” And that was the strangest or perhaps most heartbreaking part of all of it.
“How can he not?” Her sister frowned. “He’s back here instead of in his own lodgings. He’s completely out of funds. Today he begged me for my pin money.”
“He did the same to me.” Bella’s heart twisted at the thought of what her brother was doing to himself.
“I gave him everything I had.” Prissa pushed up on her elbow to better see Bella. “Did you?”
“I didn’t have anything left after the new oil paints last week.” She shook her head. “How much did you give him?”
“Five pounds.”
Bella doubted five pounds would get Elliott very far, not with the debt Grandfather mentioned a few days before. And certainly not if he drank or gambled it away instead of spending it wisely. The odds of him spending it wisely didn’t seem like a remote possibility. “He even asked Greg…Lord Avery for money this evening. I thought I might die of embarrassment.”
“What did he say? Lord Avery, I mean?” Prissa asked, her light grey eyes wide.
“He told him no.” Though not quite so nicely, not that she could blame Greg for that.
“If we could talk to Elliott when he’s sober…”
A mirthless laugh escaped Bella. “When would that be, Prissa?”
“I don’t know.” Her sister sighed. “I haven’t seen him so recently.”
And neither had Bella.
“I’m so sorry he embarrassed you in front of Lord Avery.” Prissa shook her head. “Hardly the best welcome into the family.”
“Hardly,” Bella agreed. Greg was probably counting his blessings that their betrothal was only pretend.